CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida has signed a new partnership agreement with Ballistic Recovery Systems Inc., or BRS Aerospace, of Miami, Fla., for use of the Parachute Refurbishment Facility, or PRF.

The PRF previously was used during NASA’s Space Shuttle Program to manufacture and refurbish the solid rocket booster parachutes. Because of NASA’s transition from the shuttle to future commercial and government mission activities, this agreement allows NASA to preserve the unique facility capabilities for future spaceflight projects.

“Kennedy continues working with the commercial community to bring new partnerships to the center, and this latest agreement is a great example of pairing a NASA facility having a previously specialized focus with a U.S. company that has a similar engineering and manufacturing focus,” said Kennedy Director Bob Cabana. “This partnership would not have been possible without the support of the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast. We welcome BRS Aerospace to Kennedy Space Center and look forward to a long-standing partnership.”

BRS Aerospace is engaged in the business of developing and commercializing parachutes, including whole-airframe emergency recovery parachute systems, personnel parachute systems, low-cost aerial delivery systems, and precision guided aerial delivery systems. The company will utilize the facility to establish a technical research and development center for advanced parachute systems and for manufacturing prototype systems.

Under a 10-year lease agreement, BRS Aerospace will operate and maintain the facility at its own expense. The company will access the facility to begin work on Sept. 3 and will hire approximately 34 full-time employees by the end of the year.

Kennedy’s center planning and development team and the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast worked with the company to establish the agreement.